Price vs. Value

This past Sunday I heard a very profound statement during the sermon at church.  If I were to remember one thing, this would be it:  "Our society knows the price of everything but the value of nothing."  The sermon was on the first set of verses of Mark 14.  How true this is.  I pondered this for quite a while and admittedly did not catch much in the following minutes because I was left running that statement through my head.  I have been wanting to write about it for a few days now and have had even more time to think about it. 

As a bargain shopper, with coupons always in hand, never a person to pay full price for anything, I was thinking about how this affected me.  Sure, I know what the price is of things.  I try to get that price down as low as I can.  But do I sometimes take a cheap price for a crummy value?  Just because something is cheap doesn't mean it is worth much of anything.  I probably tend to take this too far and risk losing some value on things.

Mary used a jar of perfume on Jesus that cost a year's wages!  Would I have done something like that?  Unless it was something inherited, I probably would not even have something that expensive in my possession.  And even at that, I may not have thought much about it because it's just perfume, right?  Why would I want that?  I'm guessing it had more significance back in those days.  But still.  I'm so hard up on spending money.  I want a good deal.  I try to be wise in spending, not frivolous. 

Regarding value though, I was also struck by a comment someone made to me on Sunday.  Asking how Elizabeth was doing in the nursery, I responded with the usual up and down answer.  Sometimes she's okay, sometimes not.  She can't be on her own long without her mommy.  Sure, it seems the price I have to pay right now is extremely high.  I don't ever get a good night's sleep, I don't ever get time alone.  Actually, this person said, so, is this the only hour you have without her all week?  Yes!!  It's true!!  That hour during early service is my only hour without her all week. That is no exaggeration either.  She sleeps with me, so she's there all night too.  This cost may seem high to some, but I hope there is a lot of value in this.  I hope my daughter will be secure and know mommy's there for her.  I hope all this time spent with her will be for the good, that she'll value what I value, come to know Christ, and so forth.  If that happens, no price can be too high.  I want her to become God's child.  I love you, Elizabeth, and I want what's best for you, even if it means a high price for me to pay right now.